I want to thank a listener, Joe for sending this to me.
Stories about Bigfoot- A Horror Sighting and encounter: A story told to me [John Sweet] to share publicly. More stories need to get out there. There is more about this animal people are not talking about. This one has never been shared before and it is very frightening.
At age 26, I spent time on a family trip to Medford Oregon. It was a sultry and humid summer and we were struggling as a family at the time. We decided to leave our small town in Utah to visit my uncle and aunt, who retired in Medford. I was a young and healthy man at the time- with no commitment- no wife or children. I had a lot on my mind at that time. I was a long distance runner and decided to take a run and take some alone time. I was not really sure which direction I would take- but I had a small fanny pack with a bit of food and water. I also had a camel pack because I planned to spend the day out and about.
I started out on Summit Avenue and eventually ended up on Taylor Road. I was still in town but I wanted to try to get up in the mountains. So I kept going for about a mile to Old Stage Road. I don’t remember the small lane but it started with a “p” and I followed it straight up into the Gold Hill area. Seems irresponsible I know, but like I said- I had a lot on my mind and the beauty of that area captivated me.
At the end of the small lane- I found myself close to the top of a ridge. I started my run about 6 am and it was close to noon. I sat and had a snack and water. The air was tantalizing and the smell of the forest was intoxicating. I wanted to get to the top of the ridge and find the best view I could. I very much didn’t think it would take long.
I started hiking, off-trail, right up toward the summit through some thick forest. The hike was extreme and I barely made it to what I thought was the ridge. But when I arrived- I saw another ridge with what seemed to be a road. Curiosity killed the cat and got the best of me- so I trekked off to the distant road. I reached a dirt road at the top of the ridge where I had an awesome view of the Rogue River. I could also see an open area of dirt and salty looking material where some strip mining of some kind was happening. So against better judgment I thought I was very close to civilization and thought I would follow this dirt road back down the mountain.
Well it didn’t go down the mountain. it just continued along the ridge line. Hours had passed and I was out of food. I had water and a camel pack. But was almost out. So I turned around in an attempt to retrace my steps. BIG mistake. I thought I retraced my steps back to the ravine I thought I climbed up. I started to descend and fell down a short cliff and hit my head which knocked me out cold.
When I awoke- the sun had started to set. I was still on the steep hill side, but a large tree had stopped me from continuing to fall. I wrestled to get my bearings straight. The sunset was amazing. Deep purples blended into an increasing blackened sky. I felt overwhelmed by a rotten smell of some kind. It reminded me of really bad milk someone had left in the fridge for WAY too long.
I tried to get up to my feet and get stable so I could figure out where I was. I had a lot of blood dripping down my face. So I wiped my eyes with my hand and when I opened my eyes I saw a massive animal with its arms and legs wrapped around a large tree like a gorilla. But its feet were not wrapped all the way around the tree it was using the insides of its feet to hold itself on the tree kind of like natives do when climbing up coconut trees. And the feet were very large and human looking.
I was only about 25 feet away from me. It just stared at me and didn’t move a muscle. A cold and dark fear came over me that I will not forget to this day. The hair was beautiful and full- all around the body, head fingers and on top of the feet. The sunset was lighting up the furry hair to a brilliant red color. The skin around his eyes, nose and mouth was hairless and dark grey. His finger nails were a similar dark gray, which really made them stand out and for some reason made his hands very frightening to me. Maybe because they were so massive and human looking. I could clearly see his eyes because he stared so intently at me as though he wanted to kill me. They were dark brown and the pupils were very dilated and jet black.
I couldn’t really see whites of his eyes just dark brown. His nostrils flared as he breathed and they seemed like dark caverns. His mouth was strangely broad with an even broader lower jaw. There really was no neck and he held his head low. It was getting darker and I wanted to get out of there. So I began to slowly move my way up the mountain and he just kept his eyes fixed right on me. The feeling was horrific. The fear I cannot describe. I continued and he stayed perfectly petrified no movement except for his deadly eyes.
I got anxious and began moving more quickly. I kept my body and face toward him which caused me to begin moving up the hill backwards, resulting in my tripping over a log in a sudden jerking movement. At that moment, he leapt from the tree at a speed toward me I can’t describe. His decisive leap was extremely accurate because he landed nearly on top of me. Mind you that would have been a 25 foot span to cover through the air at least.
When he landed, he was straddling me with his one foot at the left of my legs and his one foot on the right. He squatted over me with his hands on his knees. At that moment I decided my life was over. With his massive hand, he reached down toward my waist, wrapped his banana like fingers around my fanny pack- and ripped it apart. He seemed to be looking for food of some kind. He did the same thing with my camel pack. Smelling the items and tasting them with his huge tongue.
I stayed as quiet as I possibly could during this ordeal. He continued to hover over me, breathing deeply through his massive nostrils. His chest was huge and made me feel like he could crush me instantly. He started smelling one side of my body my left arm and left leg. Then moved to my right leg and when he got to my right arm he took a bite with no hesitation. The bite was crushing and excruciatingly painful. His entire mouth fit around my forearm and I could hear my bones crushing.
He instantly stood up and I could see my lower arm and hand in his mouth and it took me time to realize he severed my arm in one quick bite. At once he jumped toward another large tree and grabbed it with his massive arms and stood on the sides of the tree using the insides of his feet. It was horrifying. He looked back at me with my lower arm still in his mouth and then jumped to the forest floor. I could hear him running through the trees. I stayed quiet and still, holding my arm in writhing pain, until I could no longer hear the animal running away.
And I DO call this beast and animal. He may have human features- but so do a lot of other primates, but that don’t make ’em human. Human’s don’t eat other humans- period! I get very tired of hearing people talk about these animals like they are “wildmen” not so. They are simply wild animals that eat big mammals and when hungry enough- that includes us. I got up and, by this time it was dark, started hiking as best I could up to the road. I attempted to walk along the road. I walked until it was very late and I began to feel too weak. I was shocked and amazed when I saw headlights. A USFS jeep was inspecting the area and found me- nearly passed out alongside the road.
I came to find out later he was searching for a Sasquatch but he didn’t call it a Sasquatch. He called it something that sounded like “Neferious” or “Neterious”. I don’t remember. He sad something about their “habitat” and how a few were losing their land and food source resulting in them searching for food closer to human settled areas. I guess I was the first big “food” source this animal had come across in a while. What I don’t understand is why he didn’t eat me entirely he was big enough to have done so.
He had to have been 10 feet tall. I was taken to a hospital and, of course, my story was not believed. It was decided by my doctors that a cougar had attacked me though no claw marks anywhere on my body just a missing arm.